Never a dull moment in this business
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
Today was an interesting day.
As I recently told one of my daughters, every day in the newspaper business is interesting.
Think about it. We have the same quality control demands of any business, yet we never make the same "product" twice.
Every day is different. Every edition is different.
The past 24 hours were different in at least a couple of interesting and unusual ways. I enjoyed a lengthy conversation with my former employer and former U.S. Congressman Clarence J. "Bud" Brown and his wife, Joyce.
Bud, many local Republicans might recall, is a former Blanchester newspaperman who represented the Seventh Congressional District from central Ohio. (If memory serves.)
When Bud asked how my mother was doing, we touched a bit on his own health. (Bud had suffered a stroke, maybe four or five years ago.) He and Joyce were surprised that I remembered his birthday. It's easy, I told them. Bud was born in the summer of 1927, the year of perhaps the greatest Major League Baseball team ever: The Murderer's Row 1927 New York Yankees.
Bud and Joyce cracked up when I shared the story of my "origination" shortly after the 1960 Yankees lost in Game 7 of the World Series to Bill Mazeroski and the Pittsburgh Pirates. (My dad was a big Yankees fan. My mother is a merciful woman.)
Bud was a Navy man in the World War II years. He is among that greatest generation's survivors. In my office hangs the Clarence J. Brown Award for Editorial Excellence, which I was humbled to receive several years ago.
Pam and I spent a weekend at Bud and Joyce's Washington, D.C. home in the spring of 1999 (if memory serves). They were gracious hosts, and we enjoyed visiting many of the more popular landmarks. Personally, I enjoyed breakfast and conversation with longtime Congressman Henry Hyde. That was an experience to remember. (Pam got the worst of the deal that day. She had lunch with Hillary Clinton!!)
Bud and Joyce seemed pleased to catch up on the "old days," and I was pleased to hear from them and learn a few things that I hadn't fully understood as they transpired. It was a good exchange.
* * *
Then, this morning, a former co-worker (on two separate occasions) and I enjoyed breakfast at Vickie's on West Main Street in Hillsboro. It was almost like the "old days" when we had breakfast at the K&M Restaurant in downtown Portsmouth.
Almost. But not quite.
We both know each other. I think we both respect each other. But it ain't like the old days. And we both know it.
As I said before, this business is always interesting.
* * *
Quotable: Ohio's John Boehner was asked if he would be interested in the GOP VP nomination. Congressman Boehner replied: "It's hard enough for me to go to funerals of people I know."
Classic.
* * *
Eric "The Bulldog" Deters once fought in a steel-cage UFC-type brawl. Remind me to give Eric a call. I need to know where to rent the cage. (Details to follow at a later date.)
* * *
TV stations in Ohio are yanking a political commercial related to State Issue 2 (the repeal of Ohio Senate Bill 5).
As tough as advertising dollars are to come by in this never-ending recession, the stations made the right call.
In this particular case, the Right needs to give up trying to defend the indefensible.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported today: "Twenty-seven television stations have pulled a pro-Issue 2 commercial that uses pirated video and audio of a Cincinnati great-grandmother who actually first appeared in an ad for the campaign that opposes the issue. ...
"The great-grandmother, Marlene Quinn, originally appeared in a commercial for We Are Ohio, saying SB5 threatens firefighter safety. In the spot, Quinn credits firefighters for saving the life of her great-granddaughter and son and urges a vote against Issue 2, the referendum on SB5 that will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot. The same footage of Quinn was also used in an ad placed by Building a Better Ohio, which supports the law, with a voiceover chiming in: 'She's right. By voting 'no' on Issue 2, our safety will be threatened.'"
Mrs. Quinn said she was deeply hurt by the deceptive use of her words. As well she should be.
Jason Mauk, spokesman for Building a Better Ohio, who succeeded the guy I enjoyed breakfast with this morning at the Ohio Republican Party (small world, ain't it?) was left holding the bag for the Ohio "right."
According to The Plain Dealer, Mauk maintains that by appearing in the We Are Ohio ad, Mrs. Quinn "made herself a public figure and thus use of her image is legal and fair game. He argued that the points Quinn made in the We Are Ohio commercial for repealing the law could also be points for keeping Senate Bill 5."
Really? Are you kidding me?
Who in the hell taught Jason Mauk, anyway?
Talk about taking something out of context.
This is an obvious and deliberate political distortion of Marlene Quinn's statements. Ohio voters ought to ask their respective representatives in the General Assembly what they think of this tactic.
As a FORMER supporter of Senate Bill 5 and State Issue 2, I am saddened and appalled at the Republican tactics. They may believe they can fool all of the people some of the time or even some of the people all the time.
Don't be among the fooled.
There are many positives in Senate Bill 5, but if this is the only way the GOP can promote the legislation, voters would be wise to be skeptical. Several months ago I sent the bill's sponsor, Shannon Jones (if memory serves), an email for her courageous attempt to rein in government spending.
But if SB 5 is, indeed, a worthy cause, why must the right stoop to trickery and deception?
Like I said, there's never a dull moment in this business.
Rory Ryan is publisher of The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]
As I recently told one of my daughters, every day in the newspaper business is interesting.
Think about it. We have the same quality control demands of any business, yet we never make the same "product" twice.
Every day is different. Every edition is different.
The past 24 hours were different in at least a couple of interesting and unusual ways. I enjoyed a lengthy conversation with my former employer and former U.S. Congressman Clarence J. "Bud" Brown and his wife, Joyce.
Bud, many local Republicans might recall, is a former Blanchester newspaperman who represented the Seventh Congressional District from central Ohio. (If memory serves.)
When Bud asked how my mother was doing, we touched a bit on his own health. (Bud had suffered a stroke, maybe four or five years ago.) He and Joyce were surprised that I remembered his birthday. It's easy, I told them. Bud was born in the summer of 1927, the year of perhaps the greatest Major League Baseball team ever: The Murderer's Row 1927 New York Yankees.
Bud and Joyce cracked up when I shared the story of my "origination" shortly after the 1960 Yankees lost in Game 7 of the World Series to Bill Mazeroski and the Pittsburgh Pirates. (My dad was a big Yankees fan. My mother is a merciful woman.)
Bud was a Navy man in the World War II years. He is among that greatest generation's survivors. In my office hangs the Clarence J. Brown Award for Editorial Excellence, which I was humbled to receive several years ago.
Pam and I spent a weekend at Bud and Joyce's Washington, D.C. home in the spring of 1999 (if memory serves). They were gracious hosts, and we enjoyed visiting many of the more popular landmarks. Personally, I enjoyed breakfast and conversation with longtime Congressman Henry Hyde. That was an experience to remember. (Pam got the worst of the deal that day. She had lunch with Hillary Clinton!!)
Bud and Joyce seemed pleased to catch up on the "old days," and I was pleased to hear from them and learn a few things that I hadn't fully understood as they transpired. It was a good exchange.
* * *
Then, this morning, a former co-worker (on two separate occasions) and I enjoyed breakfast at Vickie's on West Main Street in Hillsboro. It was almost like the "old days" when we had breakfast at the K&M Restaurant in downtown Portsmouth.
Almost. But not quite.
We both know each other. I think we both respect each other. But it ain't like the old days. And we both know it.
As I said before, this business is always interesting.
* * *
Quotable: Ohio's John Boehner was asked if he would be interested in the GOP VP nomination. Congressman Boehner replied: "It's hard enough for me to go to funerals of people I know."
Classic.
* * *
Eric "The Bulldog" Deters once fought in a steel-cage UFC-type brawl. Remind me to give Eric a call. I need to know where to rent the cage. (Details to follow at a later date.)
* * *
TV stations in Ohio are yanking a political commercial related to State Issue 2 (the repeal of Ohio Senate Bill 5).
As tough as advertising dollars are to come by in this never-ending recession, the stations made the right call.
In this particular case, the Right needs to give up trying to defend the indefensible.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported today: "Twenty-seven television stations have pulled a pro-Issue 2 commercial that uses pirated video and audio of a Cincinnati great-grandmother who actually first appeared in an ad for the campaign that opposes the issue. ...
"The great-grandmother, Marlene Quinn, originally appeared in a commercial for We Are Ohio, saying SB5 threatens firefighter safety. In the spot, Quinn credits firefighters for saving the life of her great-granddaughter and son and urges a vote against Issue 2, the referendum on SB5 that will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot. The same footage of Quinn was also used in an ad placed by Building a Better Ohio, which supports the law, with a voiceover chiming in: 'She's right. By voting 'no' on Issue 2, our safety will be threatened.'"
Mrs. Quinn said she was deeply hurt by the deceptive use of her words. As well she should be.
Jason Mauk, spokesman for Building a Better Ohio, who succeeded the guy I enjoyed breakfast with this morning at the Ohio Republican Party (small world, ain't it?) was left holding the bag for the Ohio "right."
According to The Plain Dealer, Mauk maintains that by appearing in the We Are Ohio ad, Mrs. Quinn "made herself a public figure and thus use of her image is legal and fair game. He argued that the points Quinn made in the We Are Ohio commercial for repealing the law could also be points for keeping Senate Bill 5."
Really? Are you kidding me?
Who in the hell taught Jason Mauk, anyway?
Talk about taking something out of context.
This is an obvious and deliberate political distortion of Marlene Quinn's statements. Ohio voters ought to ask their respective representatives in the General Assembly what they think of this tactic.
As a FORMER supporter of Senate Bill 5 and State Issue 2, I am saddened and appalled at the Republican tactics. They may believe they can fool all of the people some of the time or even some of the people all the time.
Don't be among the fooled.
There are many positives in Senate Bill 5, but if this is the only way the GOP can promote the legislation, voters would be wise to be skeptical. Several months ago I sent the bill's sponsor, Shannon Jones (if memory serves), an email for her courageous attempt to rein in government spending.
But if SB 5 is, indeed, a worthy cause, why must the right stoop to trickery and deception?
Like I said, there's never a dull moment in this business.
Rory Ryan is publisher of The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]